Shock-absorber.



Y not to be limited State of Texas,

STANFORD WAL'I'ON RIFE, OFl SAN MARCOS, TEXAS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 17, 1911.

`Patented June 11 1.912. serial No. 627,723.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, STANFORDv W'ALTON.

RIFE, citizen of the United States, residing .at San 'Marcos, in the county of Hays and have invented new and useful Improvements in ShockfAbsorbers', of which t-he following is a specification.

'lhe object of the invention is to increase the eliciency of shock absorbers by permit ting of bodily to which these devices are usually connected. To this end .the invention consists in securing a cylinder to. one side of an elliptical spring, or to the vehicle proper when Semieelliptical springs. are employed, and pivotally and slidingly connecting one end a pistonrod to one side of the spring or to the vehicle, as the case may be, the opposite end of t-he rod being similarly connected to a piston working against an air cushion in the'cylinder.

With the above structure other objects are included which'will appear and be better understood from the following descriptionv taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: p

Figure l illustrates a' side view of my device as applied to a motorvehicle;'Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same; Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of an elliptical spring showing my device applied t thereto.'

`Similar numerals of reference are employed designating corresponding parts throughout.

As .shown in Figs. l-and 3 the cylinder 5 is secured at one .means such as bolts a flange 7 on the closed end 8 of the cylinder end by suitable securing 6 which extend through 5. Although I have shown the cylinder inverted, it is to be understoodthat I am t-o this arrangement since the cylinder may be arranged upright in which event. itv would be secured to the spring 9 ,in Fig'l and to the lower side 10 of the springa in Fig.' 3'. The piston 11 reciprocates in the cylinder .5 and a substantially air tightA joint is effected by means of the rings. 12 carried bythe piston 11. The lower end of the piston has a concave depression 13 and a wrist pin'lt is secured `at opposite points adjacent to the ,open end of the depression 13. A yoke 15 is fastened in any preferred manner such as by bolts 16 to the spring 9 in Fig. 1, or to the lower side 10 of the spring a in Fig. 3. Whenmovement on one of the parts the cylinder is upright however as before described this yoke cured to the vehicle proper or the upper side of the spring a as the case may be. A conf necting rod 17 has one end adapted to turn and slide on the wrist pin 14 and its opposite end is similarly adapted to turn and will, of course, be seslide on a pin 18 which connects the ends ofV l the yoke 15.

By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that,

- when the parts are in their normal positions a space 18 will be provided between. the inner end of the piston 11 and t-he head 8 of the cylinder. Within this space an air cushion is provided against which the piston 11 works when the body of the vehicle and spring 9 or the opposite sides of the spring 10 move relatively to each other. when the vehicle is passing over humps or ruts.` This will be further manifest when it is remembered that the piston 1l lits tightly within the cylinder 5 so that when the wheels pass over uneven places on the road and the Cyl-V inder and piston move relativelyv to each' other the air will be compressed in the space 18 before the air can be forced between the cylinder and side of the piston. *Whatever air is forced between the piston and cylinder will, however, form a thin lm there around which will prevent friction and` on rebound this air` which tendsto escape from the cylinder around the piston willbe sucked into the cylinder by the outward movement of the piston'.

In case the wheels suddenly'strike an obstacle thereby creating a most violent and extraordinary compression of air in the cylinder and forcing thepiston. into engagement with the head 8 it is evident that the jar will be very perceptible to the occupants of the vehicle unless some means are provided for absorbing the same. Therefore,

lin order to accomplish this absorbing result I provide rubber cushions 19 and 20, the

Aformer being secured to the inner face of the head 8 and the latter to the inner end of the piston 1l. l It will be seen that owing to the peculiar mounting ofthe-rod 17, the body of the vehicle "will be permitted to move laterally and longitudinally without producing a lateral stress onthe said rod. f.

Although I have shown and described a preferred and modified form of my device it is to be understood that Il amnot to be limited to' the structures shown and de.

scribed, since vvarious changes may lie-'made a beer-ing.r rod connected tothe other of said within the scope of theclaim without departing from the spirit of the invention. l

-Whait is-claimed as new is: l In combina-tion with two relatively movable members including the frame and body of a vehicle.; of ashock absorber including a cylinder Connected to one of the members,

a piston in the cylinder and having a l cupped end, a bearing rod extending transy verselyl of and arranged in the cupped end,

members, and a piston rod adapted for turningiand bodily .sliding movements on said bearing rods. 15

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses,

STANFORD wALToN RIFE;

Witnesses:

W. A. SCRUTCHIN, J. R. WILHELM.

Copiesbf this patent may be obtained fr ve leencsi'each. by addressing the' Commissioner of rPaltet's.

. Washington. D. C. 

